Rocky Racoon 100 Trail Race

Rick Albanese (MM11181)-So much to share on the Rocky Raccoon 100 I have to break it up across several posts. I will start here with my history with this race and pre race plan. I completed my first 50 miler here in 2017 under very hot conditions and fell in love with Tejas Trails Races. They have very well organized and supported races with many dedicated, experienced and caring volunteers. I returned in 2022, well trained and ready to take my first shot at the Rocky 100. Sadly, I arrived battling a sinus infection and could only complete 3 laps for 60 miles, struggling to breathe in unusually cold conditions and nearly collapsing in the finish area heating tent. I vowed a return.
Flying to this race I did not want the stress or hassle of two bags or checking a bag. This forced me to focus on the essential items that my experience and the expected conditions would dictate absolutely necessary. Taking way too much stuff to an Ultra race is a real thing. As Scott W. Kummer has famously said “We pack our insecurities in our drop bags!”. As I was tackling this race alone with no crew or pacer assistance and an expected rainy forecast I decided to try to secure a parking spot right next to the start/finish area and transformed the passenger seat of my rental car into a personal aid station camplete with protective Dryseat cover and brown paper on the floor. I laid out everything in the car I would need and used the door handle compartment for all my pre portioned Spring Energy gels. I also had no hotel booked for Saturday night. I allowed no comfortable bailout backup place to go if I quit during the night except the car. I stocked up on pre race provisions at the fabulous local HEB grocery store and it struck me suddenly that I could get a package of their famous fresh made tortillas and some avocados to make my own wraps in the car during the race and some salt and vinegar chips! I awoke at 3:15am and arrived at Huntsville State Park at 4:26am behind 20 or more cars already in line and countless more soon collected behind me waiting for the park gate to open at 5am. I anxiously entered the park and secured the spot I wanted along the start area area of the loop and quietly rested in the car until the delayed 6:15am start. It rained for days before the race and the night before as well. Strong storms and high winds were predicted for race morning that fortunately never materialized! The saturation and flood damage to the course was done days in advance as we all would soon discover as Mother Nature delivered a Tysonesque blow to the face, feet and groin area of every runner that would quickly render many plans and pace goals quite improbable/impossible. I jokingly commented out loud to no one in particular that this was the first race that my feet would actually be wet BEFORE the starting mat as the area leading to the start line was already saturated with mud and puddles. An epic start to an epic race! Stay tuned!! Soooo much more to share!!!

“People don’t quit when they can take no more. They quit when they no longer believe they can win. Not believing you can win can take many forms such as a belief that you can’t make the distance or maintain the pace. Whatever belief creates the doubt in your mind, it is not the loss of will that you must overcome – it is the loss of hope.” – Lazarus Lake
A week ago I was fighting for my 5th 100 mile finish at the Rocky Raccoon 100 Trail Race but it still seems like I just got off the course! Now for the rest of my race story!

I left off with the prerace preparations and crossed the starting line around 6:15am with a delayed start. The first two miles were a bit of a Conga line in the dark with mud and water all over the trail. Within the first half mile we all knew it was going to be a long day. On a positive note the thunderstorms, wind and buckets of promised rain the first 3 hours of the race never materialized. I stowed my hat and rain jacket within the first 2 miles never to be used again as it was almost 60 degrees. The real reality check came 4 miles in when we encountered the raging rapids passing across the trail. There was no way around the rapids but through them to the aid station then right back across heading out. I went in up to my knees and felt a strong undercurrent with each step through the icy water. This major water crossing so early in the 20 mile loop dissuaded many runners I spoke to from changing socks between loops, seeing it as a futile act. I left my phone and music in the car the first lap and struck up typical conversations with fellow runners along the loop. As we made our way around the first time there was seemingly a nasty mud or ankle deep water crossing and it felt hard to get any long term momentum going. The water crossings became a relief to rinse the mud off! I just kept repeating that we needed to finish the first lap then there would be no more surprises. I pushed to a 4:38 first lap, which I was not disappointed in given the conditions. I was determined to be out of my car aid station in 20 minutes. I got to the car and peeled off the socks to air out my feet on a towel while I performed other tasks such as shirt and Buff change and eating my avocado wrap for fuel. I got the new dry socks on and it felt refreshing. The decision to invest time to change socks was not to prevent inevitable blisters but rather to prevent trenchfoot from derailing me later in the race. I was back in the trail for loop 2 and my feet were wet again within the first mile of the loop. The clouds cleared and I suddenly felt sucker punched by bright sunshine and high humidity. Coming from the freezing temps of Northern Illinois I found my heart rate spiking fast while I slowly slogged the muddy trail. Although I had plenty of time on the clock there were already thoughts of quitting on my mind. I was having a hard time visualizing 60+ more miles of heat, humidity, rain, mud and countless random water crossings. Self doubt can snowball quickly and cause people to lose hope and ultimately give up on themselves and fail. I had to reframe the current adversities I was facing in my mind and capture small victories to move closer towards the ultimate finish goal.
Lap 2 was about an hour slower than the first and with the second sock, shirt snd buff change I made my way out again within a 20 minute break. I also had to prepare my headlamp and spare batteries for this loop. As the sun dropped the humidity and temperatures did too. The mud and water crossings became colder and more irritating as the hours rolled on. I thought of dropping out again at the 60 mile point but overcame those thoughts by focusing on the fact I still had ample time on the clock and also did not want to walk away from the race and the days suffering with no finish to show for it. I completed the 3rd lap in about 6:20 which was not horrible given the conditions. I was detetmined to get out of my car quickly after a change of clothes for the night. It was dark at this point and my exhausted mind was processing details slowly. The first 2 sock changes I unstrapped my velcro timing ankle bracelet to get my socks off them put it back on after changing. This loop I headed out in complete darkness and looked down at my feet 3/4 mile from the start if the loop and knew immediately I had left the timing bracelet in the car. I felt sick to my stomach and turned atound to get the ankle timer as I did not want to risk disqualification for not being counted on loop 4. I later learned with all the changing of socks many runners made the same mistake I did and went on without the bracelet manually checking in at aid stations. Timing mats at key locations on the course were also completely submerged in mud thus not recording passing runners! I do not regret going back for it though as l couldn’t imagine completing the race only to be disqualified after the finish. I regrouped with my self induced bonus mileage and got less than 2 hours out of my waistlight and after a battery change the light went dead again almost immediately. Luckily, I had my backup headlamp and calmly put it into action. The cool night air was refreshing and my next milestone goal was to get to the reinvigorating daylight of dawn. I came back to the start area with a plan of my shortest break and final change of socks as the final cutoff was looming just 7ish hours away. I came through the final lap at 6:45am and the race director had me push a Staples red button in his voice that told me “You have another lap!” I laughed deliriously and got back on the course in 5 minutes with temporarily renewed hope and strength. I had burned 7:30 hours with my 4th lap follies and had about 7:15 to finish the final lap. After a strong push the first 5 miles I began doing the math and knew i could finish holding 20 minute miles. I began slowing down, and casually accepted congrats from volunteers and cautiously celebrated a finish that I had yet to collect. My feet, mind and body began to slow with 10 miles to go. My time cushion faded and I got to the last aid station knowing I had about 2 hours and change left to finish the final 6 miles. It was doable for sure but hardly guaranteed. Steps out of the aid station my Garmin watch went blank without warning and detached from technology it became pretty primal and simple. All I could do is run/move down the trail as fast as I could hoping to catch someone with a working watch to figure the distance to the finish. I spotted someone across the valley abour a quarter mile away and yelled out for a distance check! 3.6 to go was the response I got and once again felt I had plenty of time. I continued to press and got different estimates until there was less than 2 miles. Somewhere in this time frame I developed “the lean” as I saw my shadow leaning to the left then felt it slowing me to a near crawl. Up the last hill people offered me poles and one runner noted to me I was leaning to the left, no kidding!!!! I tried to move between telephone poles and reset my body but the lean kept bending me to the left side. I inched towards the finish to a cheering crowd and walked through the mud one last time, crossing the finish line exhausted, victorious over the conditions, cutoff times and most importantly, myself. Finding hope over my doubts over and over again saved my race. Final lap 5 6:55, Finish – 31:46/ 32:00 time limit. Thank you for sharing my journey!